


Domi Dulce Domum Mea Maxima Caritate

by Fox_is_Fandumb



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: Badly Translated Latin, Expect a couple OCs here or there, F/F, FutureEmpress!Laura, Imperium AU, Love, Magic, Political Marriages, ShapeshiftingBarbarian!Carmilla
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 14:53:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12509920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fox_is_Fandumb/pseuds/Fox_is_Fandumb
Summary: Laura is next in line to lead the Imperium of Savo but she has fled from her life of comfort atop the Shattered Mountain to escape an arranged marriage. She finds herself lost and disoriented in the Styrian wilds far from any hold the Imperium has when her life changes forever.





	Domi Dulce Domum Mea Maxima Caritate

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this finished and ready to post for months and I finally stopped procrastinating. I hope you enjoy.

"Where is he," Laura whines as she marches through the enigmatic Styrian Wilds, "I'm cold and alone and I just want my cat back."

Leaves rustle overhead and Laura grips the handle if the gladius stole from her palace's barracks out of fear. Her breath trembles with each step she takes through the foreign and confusing environment. She feels the hair on the back of her neck stand on end before the rustling stops and she hears laughter in the distance.

"Who could possibly be laughing all the way out here," Laura asks no one in particular, turning her head to try pinpointing the origin of the sound by ear.

She wanders towards the laughter with cautious steps. After passing several disturbingly identical trees Laura glimpses light of a fire through heavy brush. A gust of wind blows the scent of freshly roasted meat towards her and before she can think of the consequences she rushes through the bush to find three gruff looking men around a fire with rabbit roasting on a spit.

"Uh- Hi, none of you have seen a tabby wandering these wilds," Laura asks with a nervous smile, "Have you?"

"Boys, have we died and started our journey through the planes of madness," Says the man sitting across the fire from where Laura is standing, "We must've pleased the gods if we're being met with a beauty like this!"

"Aye, a great gift from the gods," The man to his left grunts as he stares her up and down with hungry eyes, "I bet she's a right tight one."

"I think I'm just gonna-" Laura starts to say, backing away and gripping the hilt of her sword.

"Nah, You're not goin' anywhere," Rumbles the final man dumbly, "Not when ya gotta pretty face like yours."

"Thank you for the compliment but I'm really quite terrible company," Laura rambles out, "I never shut up."

"There's an easy enough solution to that," The first man says as he stands and brandishes a curved sword beside himself, "Can't talk if you don't have a tongue- Might make something else better too, huh boys?"

Laura rips her gladius from its scabbard and takes a fighting stance. The three men laugh at her weapon before the other two grab their own. The dumber man moves towards Laura first. Laura reacts clumsily but quickly, burying her blade in his stomach. The second man charges her in a fit of rage after his friend collapses to his knees. She barely moves out of his way and kicks him in the back of knee to throw him off balance. The air around them changes slightly as raw energy of magical lightning crackles between Laura's fingers. She unleashes the lighting on the second man, causing him to spasm and shake involuntarily before collapsing to the ground in a smoking heap.

"Bad choice," The leader hisses into her ear after sneaking up on her and pressing the blade of his sword to Laura's throat, "Those were my friends and that was an advanced combat spell which makes me think you're someone important so I'm really gonna like hurting you."

"I'm really not worth the trouble," Laura insists while cold nervous sweat gathers on her back, "I'm definitely not anyone important."

"Oh, I'm killing you whether you're- What was that," The man growls out as the leaves overhead begin to rustle violently.

His blade lifts off Laura's neck when he looks up into the trees. Laura uses the distraction to push his sword wielding arm away and shove him backwards with her shoulder. She hears a loud clatter behind her shortly before the man screams loudly and the smell of burning flesh reaches her nose. Laura rounds on him quickly and plunges her gladius into his chest, killing him. 

"Oh gods- oh gods," She says shakily as reality dawns on her, "I- I just killed three men."

Her stomach twists and a wave of nausea flows through her. She turns and vomits into the bushes, retching for several minutes despite having had an empty stomach all day. Once the nausea passes she forces herself to turn back to her handiwork and scavenge supplies from the camp. Laura feels tears well up in her eyes upon discovering the half-roasted rabbit covered in dirt and ash as she wanders away from the camp despondently.

"I- I just want warm food, a warm bed, and my cat," Laura sobs after walking for another hour through the paranoia inducing wilderness, "I'm cold and alone and I never should've left the palace."

She curls up at the base of a tree and lets herself cry. Her body shakes from holding in the sounds of her sobs. The sun has set by the time her tears have dried and darkness surrounds Laura like a void. She focuses her energy on illuminating the area with pale magelight before standing and gathering sticks to light a fire.

"What made me think it was a good idea to hide out here," Laura complains to herself while arranging what sticks she could find into an efficient pattern for a campfire, "'Go North Laura, it's the best place to runaway from an arranged marriage- Don't forget to take your beloved cat" Ugh, I'm never taking my own advice again."

Once the sticks are arranged properly she lights the fire with magic and pulls some dried and salted meat from her bag. Laura takes a bite out of the sad excuse for a meal and chases it with a swig from her waterskin to make chewing the tough meat easier. A twig snaps just outside of the range of the fire's light and puts Laura on full alert. 

"Who's there," She demands, "I'm armed and I've killed three men so you don't want to mess with me!"

Laura scans the darkness around her, stopping on two glowing orbs on the edge of the perimeter. The orbs move forward and reveal themselves to be eyes of a massive panther that slinks from the darkness like ink from a quill in the hands of an expert scribe. She swallows nervously and scrambles backwards until her is pressed against a tree.

"You're not my cat," Laura squeaks out, "If you could leave and not come back that'd be wonderful- I don't think a panther as big as yourself would get much from eating little ol' me."

The panther stares at Laura and huffs before wandering into the darkness where it came from. Laura lets out a long relieved sigh as she relaxes against the tree. She keeps her grip on her sword as she continues to eat the too tough meat. Once she finishes eating she pulls a woven blanket from her bag to fight off the coldness of the night. Her head droops down as exhaustion starts to settle inside her until another twig snaps in the night and puts her on alert again.

"Oh come on, you left to get your kid to feed me to," Laura shrieks when she spots the panther's eyes in the darkness and a smaller set of eyes beside it, "I don't think I'd be good for a growing panther cub."

The panther moves behind the smaller cat and nudges it forward. Laura clenches her eyes shut and curls up even more under her blanket. She hears soft steps through the grass move closer to her before feeling a small head headbutt her insistently. 

"What the-Joxer," Laura exclaims after lifting her head up to find her missing cat staring at her, "Where have you been- I've been looking everywhere for you since you wandered off!"

Joxer meows at her and she pulls him in close for a hug. She gives the panther a thankful look before peppering Joxer's face with kisses despite his futile protests. Her onslaught of affection stops as she hears an unusual sound come from where the panther was. Laura opens her eyes to investigate, her jaw dropping open at the sight of a stunningly beautiful woman standing in the panther's place.

"Uh, hi," Laura chokes out, "Thank you for returning Joxer to me."

"Mhmm," The woman responds wordlessly before dropping two freshly killed rabbits on the ground.

"Oh, those look nice," Laura says with a gesture towards the rabbits.

"One is yours," She watches the her say.

"Really," Laura asks hopefully, "I haven't had warm food in days!"

"I saw you fight earlier," The woman says simply, "You looked sad when you saw the meat they were cooking was ruined."

"Wait, you saw me fighting for my life and you didn't help," Laura exclaims angrily, throwing her arms in the air.

"You didn't need my help," Answers the woman with a nonchalant shrug.

"I- But that- You," Laura stutters out, "That's not the point, I could've been hurt whatever your name is."

"But you weren't," She hums matter-of-factly, "And my name is Carmilla."

"Well, Carmilla, I could have," Laura repeats indignantly.

"Cutie, I would've jumped in if you needed saving but you know how to defend yourself," Carmilla says as she skins the rabbits with practiced ease and puts them over the fire.

Laura pouts and crosses her arms over her chest. Her stomach growls loudly which causes Carmilla to chuckle quietly. She glares halfheartedly at Carmilla for laughing.

"You're cute when you're angry," Carmilla says, laughing again.

"Ugh," Laura huffs.

"Stop sulking and have some rabbit," Carmilla says a few minutes later once the meat has finished cooking.

"Thank you," Laura mumbles, taking one of the rabbits impaled on a stick.

Both women begin to silently eat their food together. Laura picks at the meat cautiously to avoid burning herself while using the quiet opportunity to finally take in Carmilla's appearance. She bites her lip as she notices how different Carmilla's clothes are from her own. Carmilla focuses on eating her food, ignorant of Laura's eyes raking over her. 

"So, who are you exactly," Laura asks before handing Joxer a piece of rabbit meat, "You don't look like you're from the Imperium."

"I'm not from the Imperium, I'm from these wilds," Carmilla answers around a mouthful of food.

"You're a Styrian," Laura gasps, "That- I thought your people were just a ghost story made up to make bandits sound more terrifying for staying in the wilds."

"Your bandits stay close to the edge of the wilderness where the goddess' blessing isn't as strong, lest they succumb to madness and starve to death in their confusion."

"That is terrifying," Laura admits, "Would I have gotten lost if I kept going?"

"No, I've been watching you all day so this meeting right now was inevitable," Carmilla says after taking another bite of meat.

"Oh- But why, you don't know me and I could've been a bandit for all you knew," Laura points out.

"Bandits don't enter the wilds with pet cats and spend an afternoon searching for them," Carmilla reasons, "And my people take in innocents who have been shunned from the Imperium."

"Um- Thank you, that's very kind of you," Laura says thankfully, "I was running away from an arranged marriage if you're curious."

"Such odd traditions," Carmilla grumbles under her breath, "Is there a way for you to escape the arrangement?"

"Maybe another marriage to someone with more power," Laura says after thinking for a minute, "Someone who would be more valuable to my father to have a connection to."

"You could marry me," Carmilla suggests quietly, causing Laura to choke and spit out the water she had just drank.

"Did- Did you just- Why," Laura sputters out.

"I lead the Styrians, I am meant to be their queen," Carmilla answers with a shrug, "I must marry to prove I'm ready to lead without a council of elders."

"But why me," Laura asks.

"You're strong and my people value the strength I witnessed in you today," Carmilla says with a hum.

"I- I don't really know what to say," Laura responds as she runs her hand along Joxer's spine to feel something familiar in the strange environment around her, "May I have some time to consider your proposal?"

"Of course," She watches Carmilla say, "And whatever you decide there will be a place for you among the Styrians for as long as you need."

Laura smiles at Carmilla thankfully before focusing on eating the rest of her dinner. Carmilla talks with her throughout the rest of the meal about simple matters. Once they have both finished eating Carmilla sheds a thick hide wrapped around her body to offer it to Laura, revealing ritualistic tattoos and numerous scars in the process. 

"It'll be cold tonight and that blanket you have won't be enough," Carmilla mumbles.

"But what about you- Won't you be cold," Laura asks as she pulls her eyes away from Carmilla body.

"I'll be fine," Carmilla chuckles before her body shifts and stretches until Laura finds herself staring at a black cat bigger than she is.

"Oh yeah, you're also a cat," Laura guffaws.

Carmilla curls up beside the fire while Laura lays out the fur she had packed and prepares a makeshift bed for the night. Laura lies down and pulls Joxer into her chest, earning a mild complaint from the much smaller cat before he nestles against her. She fusses with her bag as a pillow for a few minutes until it is tugged away from her hands and warm black fur takes its place. Her gaze shifts towards Carmilla's to communicate a silent thank you after she rests her head on her new pillow. All three residents of the camp fall into a sound sleep not long after that final exchange.

**Author's Note:**

> So what did you think? Please let me know down below.
> 
> As always, thank you to my wonderful friends for helping me organize and write this.


End file.
